Portable open-circuit spirometry systems: a review

A new review study has been published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness discussing the validity, reliability and principles of operations of existing portable open-circuit spirometry system.

Portable open-circuit spirometry systems are widely used in the field of exercise physiology, especially in field settings when freedom of movement is required. With advances in technology, these devices have become increasingly sophisticated, smaller, and lighter; which allows for VO2 to be measured during a wide range of activities, including bicycling, running, speed skating, rowing, soccer, and other sports.

The purpose of this review was to describe the evolution of portable open-circuit spirometry systems, and discuss their validity, reliability, and principles of operation.

The study, submitted in 2015 (when K5 was not yet available in the market), announced nevertheless the newest version of portable systems (COSMED K5) and the opportunity it gives to provide researchers the option of using either micro-proportional sampling or breath-by-breath techniques within the same system (thanks to the COSMED patented dual gas sampling system IntelliMET).

According to the authors "This new development challenges the prevailing view, which holds that the breath-by-breath technique is the more advanced and desirable method in all situations. In our view, the breath-by-breath method is potentially subject to more errors due to alinearity of the sensors and temporal mis-matching of ventilation and gas fractions. Future research should examine the hypothesis that micro-proportional sampling systems yield more consistent measures of steady-state oxygen uptake than breath-by-breath systems. The COSMED K5 will provide an opportunity, for the first time, for researchers to compare the validity and reliability of these two techniques within the same device."

Founded in 1980, COSMED is a privately owned company manufacturing Cardio Pulmonary and Metabolic Diagnostic Equipment. COSMED products include a full range of Spirometers, Pulmonary Function, Body Composition, Nutritional Assessment and Cardio Pulmonary Exercise systems, including Electrocardiographs, Ergometers and Assessment Software. COSMED solutions are aimed for either professional or medical use for many different applications like: Hospital, Clinics, Primary Care, University & Education in Human Physiology, Clinical Nutrition, Commercial Weight Management, Human Performance Centers, Sport Institutions and Health Club Industry. COSMED Headquarters are located in the province of Rome, Italy. COSMED has subsidiaries in the USA, China and Germany, and distributes its products internationally through a constantly growing distributor network covering more than 70 countries.